Sheet-metal stopper for bottles, jars, &amp;c.



No. 779,107. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

A. L. WEISSBNTHANNER.

SHEET METAL STOPPER FOR BOTTLES; JARS, &0.

APPLICATION rum) PIBB. 15, 1904.

I, 1 ii. 4

UNTTED STATES PATENT Patented January 3, 1905.

EEicE.

ALFRED L. VVEISSENTHANNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,107, dated January 3, 1905. Application filed February 15, 1904. Serial No. 193,588.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. WEISSEN- THANNER, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, and a'resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Stoppers for Bottles, Jars, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sheet-metal stoppers for bottles, jars, &c., and particularly to stoppers having integral depending flanges provided at their lower portions with parts adapted to effect a locking engagement with a shoulder located near the mouth of the receptacle.

As heretofore constructed stoppers of the class referred to have had their flanges extended downward to a point adjacent to the locking-shoulder on the receptacle in order that the locking parts, ordinarily in the form of tongues, might have strength to form an effective seal. As the class of receptacles adapted to be sealed by stoppers of the character referred to have locking-shoulders located a considerable distance below the mouths of the receptacles, the flanges of the stoppers must have great vertical extent, and they require for their production, therefore, an amount of metal which increases in an increasing ratio with relation to the depth of the flange. If the flanges are shortened, more tongues are necessary to obtain the required strength of seal. When thc number of tongues is increased, however, the stopper-blanks cannot be cut from the sheet metal to the same advantage, so that no metal can be saved in that way.

My invention has for an object to provide a construction of stopper which requires less metal for its production than a stopper of the old construction adapted to seal the same receptacle and to provide astopper which, nevertheless, efiects as strong a seal as the prior construction of stopper; also, to provide a construction of stopper which is neat and attractive in appearance and convenient and efficient in use. These and other objects of my invention will more fully appear from the following description.

' My invention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of parts herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, which are referred to herein and form a part hereof, one embodiment of my invention is illustrated, the same serving, in connection with the description herein, to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stopper constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the stopper is made. Fig. 3 is aside elevation, partly in section, of the stopper shown in Fig. 1 as applied to a receptacle; and Fig. 4 is a View similar to that shown in Fig. 3, illustrating a slight modification of the form of stopper illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

A stopper constructed in accordance with my invention comprises a crown portion having an integral depending flange provided with a plurality of flange extensions,- said flange extensions having such circumferential extent as to be stiflened by the curvature thereof against outward bend or spring and being provided at their lower extremities with relatively narrow portions adapted to effect a locking engagement with a suitable shoulder on the receptacle. By reason of this construction the depth of the flange of the stopper may be made considerably less than the vertical distance of the locking-shoulder on the receptacle below the mouth thereof, the flange extensions which carry the locking portions having sufficient resistance against outward bend or spring to hold the locking parts of the stopper in effective sealing relation with the locking-shoulder on the receptacle. In this way the metal is provided only at the points where metal is required to give the required strength. By reason of the short flange the general outline of the blank from which the stopper is formed is reduced, so that less area of metal is required to form the blanks. .In accordance with the best construction the stopper is provided with four equally-spaced flange extensions, and these extensions are tapered downwardly, as in this way the flange extensions can be entirely formed from metal which would otherwise be the extensions 3 extends at its upper part through about one-eighth of the circumference ofthe stopper and is tapered downwardly, preferably on curved lines, as shown, and is provided at its lower extremity with a suitable part, preferably in the form of a tongue 4, adapted to be bent inwardlv under the locking-shoulder of the receptacle. The kind of receptacle which this stopperis particularly adapted to seal is provided with a large mouth having an external rim or rib having considerable vertical extent and forming at its lower edge the locking-shoulder. A receptacle of this character is shown in Fig. 3, the same consisting of a body 5, having a large mouth provided with a rib 6. A receptacle of this character usually has an internal annular recess 7 adjacent to its lip 8. To permit of this construction and to give the mouth of the receptacle the required strength, the rib 6 has considerable vertical extent. The rib is provided with a substantially horizontal lower surface, forming the locking-shoulder 9. In accordance with the preferred construction the rib 6 is also provided with an external annular recess or groove 10, said groove being preferably located slightly below the plane of the internal recess 7 A sealing-disk 11, of suitable material, islocated between the top of the stopper and the mouth of the receptacle and is tightly compressed upon the lip 8 before the tongues L are forced into locking relation with the shoulder 9, an effective seal being thus produced. The length of each of the extensions 3 is preferably so fixed that said extensions terminate at or substantially at the plane of the lockingshoulder on the receptacle. By reason of this construction the full resistance of the extensions against outward spring or bend is made effective to hold the locking-tongues in effective sealing relation. In this way the locking relation between the cap and the receptacle is made substantially as strong as if the flange as a whole were terminated at the plane of the locking-shoulder, and a better locking relation can be made with four extensions and tongues than could be made by a greater number of tongues if the flange had no such extensions and were terminated above the plane of the locking-shoulder.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated the blank from which the stopper of Figs. 1 and 3-is formed, the parts of the flange which correspond to the parts of the stopper being referred to by the same numbers. As shown in this figure, a

stopper is provided with four flange extensions and tongues, and said extensions and tongues may be formed at the corners of a substantially square piece of metal (indicated in dotted lines) each side of which has a length equal to the diameter of the top plus twice the length of the flange. It will be seen, therefore, that this stopper can be made from less metal than any stopper of the same diameter having a deeper flange, as any stopperhaving more than two locking projections cannot be made from a less area of metal than a square each side of which is less in length than the diameter of the stopper plus twice the depth of the flange, and where more than four locking projections are provided even a greater amount of metal will be required.

Ifdesired, the locking-tongues 4 may be made somewhat longer than shown without requiring the use of a greater amount of metal to produce the blank, the possible length of tongue being varied by varying its width or by curving or pointing its end. In this way the tongues may be made long enough to pro vide a lip or projection 12, as shown in Fig. t, whereby the tongues may be readily engaged by a tool or otherwise to detach the stopper from the receptacle.

The flange 2 of the stopper is preferably terminated at a point above the lower edge of the annular recess or groove 10in the locking-rib, so that any liquid which may enter said groove or be left between the rib 6 and the flange of the stopper when the receptacle is being filled will be permitted'to evaporate or escape, so that it cannot become foul or act to corrode or otherwise injure the stopper.

While the stopper in accordance with the best construction is provided with four flange extensions and tongues equally spaced around its circumference, some of the advantages of my invention may be realized in stoppers having a greater or less number of extensions and tongues.

My invention in its broader aspects, therefore, is not limited to the particular construction shown and described, as many changes may be made'therein without departing from the main principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. A sheet-metal stopper having an integral depending flange provided with a plurality of flange extensions, said flange extensions having such circumferential extent as to be stiffened by the curvature thereof against outward displacement and being provided at their lower extremities with relatively nar 'row portions adapted to effect a locking engagement with a suitable shoulder on a receptacle.

2. A sheet-metal stopper having an integral depending flange provided with four equally-spaced flange extensions, said flange extensions having such circumferential extent as to be stiffened by the curvature thereof against outward displacement and being provided at their lower extremities with relatively narrow portions adapted to effect a looking engagement with a suitable shoulder on a receptacle.

3. A sheet-metal stopper having an integral depending flange provided with four equally-spaced flange extensions, said flange extensions having such circumferential extent as to be stiffened by the curvature thereof against outward displacement and being provided at their lower extremities with relatively narrow tongues adapted to be bent into locking relation with a suitable shoulder on a receptacle.

4. A sheet-metal stopper having an integral depending flange and a plurality of downwardly-tapering flange extensions, said flange 1 extensions having such circumferential extent as to be stiffened by the curvature thereof against outward displacement, and being provided at their lower extremities with relatively narrow portions adapted to effect a locking engagement with a suitable shoulder on a receptacle.

5. A sheet-metal stopper having an integral flange and four equally-spaced downwardly-tapering flange extensions, said flange extensions having such circumferential extent as to be stiffened by the curvature thereof against outward displacement, and being provided at their lower extremities with relatively narrow portions adapted to eflect a locking engagement with a suitable shoulder on a receptacle.

6. A sheet-metal stopper having an integral flange and four equally-spaced downwardly-tapering flange extensions, said flange extensions having such circumferential extent as to be stiffened by the curvature thereof against outward displacement, and being provided at their lower extremities with relatively narrow tongues adapted to be bent into locking engagement with a suitable shoulder on a receptacle.

7. The combination with a receptacle having near its mouth an external rib presenting a vertical outer wall and a horizontal lower wall forming a locking-shoulder, said rib being provided at a point intermediate of its Vertical extent with an annular groove, of a sheet-metal stopper having an integral depending flange terminated above the lower edge of said groove, said flange being provided with a plurality of extensions having such circumferential extent as to be stiffened by the curvature thereof against outward bend or spring, and said flange extensions having at their lower extremities relatively narrow portions adapted to be bent into locking engagement with said locking-shoulder.

8. The combination of a receptacle having an external rib presenting a vertical outer wall and a horizontal lower wall forming a locking-shoulder, said rib being provided at a point intermediate of its vertical extent with an annular groove, of a sheet-metal stopper having an integral depending flange terminated above the lower edge of said groove, said flange being provided with a plurality of downwardly-tapering flange extensions, and said flange extensions having relatively narrow tongues at their lower extremities adapted to be bent into locking engagement with said locking-shoulder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED L. WEISSENTHANNER.

Witnesses:

EDWIN SEGER, J. H. FREEMAN. 

